. >> barack obama's nominee for secretary of defense wants america to back down, an end to our nuclear program, devastating defense cuts, a weaker h eer co. >> some of these ads running in states that are home to what would be considered vulnerable democrats up for re-election. do you think that any of these will have sway on your democratic colleagues? >> i think these ads are going to backfire. they are being paid for by the right wing, by the neocons. it's all known, because there's been some research done, even though they're trying to hide who they are. so when you have colin -- do you think colin powell would ever support someone who wants to weaken this nation? robert gates, madeleine albright, and that's just a few. so all of this is the neocons who want to go to war at the drop of a hat. i would rather have someone in that position who views war as a last resort, but who will be strong. chuck hagel is a strong person. he's made some mistakes in his career. he's looked at his career, he's looked at his positions. he's told us that he's evolved on many issues. and i hope that he